Viral video of woman riding bike in Mumbai wins hearts online
A video of an Instagram user riding a bike through Mumbai and recording men's reactions has gone viral, with viewers praising the city's response.
The debate over women's safety runs on constantly in the country, with incidents reported almost every day. But Mumbai is often held up as an exception, seen as a safe city for women, where girls can be seen walking alone on the streets even at midnight, and many have said in videos that they do not feel afraid even at night in the city.
A new video related to this has now gone viral on social media. It was made and posted on Instagram by a user named deewithwingss, who is seen riding a bike herself. Girls generally prefer scooters, since they are lighter to ride and handle, and girls riding bikes are a less common sight, so when one is seen doing so, people tend to stare.
The user filmed this experience on camera. Using a camera mounted on her helmet, she recorded how men coming from the front or passing alongside reacted and looked at her while she rode.
The video makes one thing clear: the men of Mumbai came across as true gentlemen. In many cities, a girl riding a bike draws odd looks and comments, but nothing like that is seen in this video. The men in Mumbai are shown looking at her bike rather than at her. Some give a thumbs up from a distance praising the bike, some smile, some compliment her. No one is seen bothering her or staring inappropriately.
This also shows that women riding bikes has become a common sight in Mumbai. People are no longer surprised by it and instead praise her courage. The video has been viewed by more than 1.1 million people so far.
The video has drawn a large number of comments. One girl wrote, "This is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Maharashtra, our values are like this here, Jai Maharashtra." Another user wrote, "I was born in Mumbai itself. I worked night shifts for several years, but I never faced any trouble. In fact, men helped whenever needed. Even after partying till morning, the cab driver would drop me safely to my door. Our Mumbai is truly amazing." Another girl wrote, "I have lived in Meerut, Delhi, London and Mumbai, but no city compares to Mumbai. I cannot say it is a hundred percent safe, but compared to other cities, there is much less fear here."
